This is great advice, but also I suspect many people will read it and go “yep, sounds like a thing I should do” and then not exercise, taking the outside view that EAs are not too different from most affluent people who continually choose not to exercise despite it being readily available.
So my advice is to forget about all of this at first and just do something physical and fun. What is fun differs between people. I didn’t make a habit of exercising until I lived somewhere where I could do a fun physical activity (indoor rock climbing) whenever I liked. Some people really like running or riding a bike, others like rowing, others like team sports (baseball, basketball, gridiron football, football/soccer, cricket, rugby, etc.), others like “solo” or 1-on-1 sports (tennis, racquetball, squash, golf, etc.), and some people really get into dance or acrobatics or yoga or something else. The point is to first find a physical activity that is fun.
Then let exercise come after. In order to be good at a physical activity, you will be better if you are in good general shape, so good endurance and good strength. This will make exercise instrumentally useful to having more fun, so you’ll want to do it because you like having fun, right?
This might not work for everyone (maybe you can’t find a physical activity you think is fun after trying lots), but it was a powerful change in mindset for me that got me to go from basically never exercising to spending ~4/hours a week at the gym climbing and training to climb.
The fun bucket is a good one, and I think another good bucket for many EAs is the multitasking bucket, e.g. treadmill desk, stationary bicycle (desk or video gaming), resistance exercising while on the phone, etc.
fwiw I’ve found martial arts to be easier to stick with than the other exercise types I’ve tried, because they’re very fun / I actually look forward to upcoming sessions.
Thanks for your comment, Gordon. You are certainly right when you say that it is very important to find an exercise program that fits your taste. This is also what the evidence suggests: Exercise that is enjoyable can enhance the affective responses to exercise and may improve adherence. Also, it’s definitely better to do something – even if it’s under the recommended exercise dose – rather than nothing at all.
However, I think that EAs should nontheless aim for the recommended amount of exercise! Because thinking that “every little bit counts” could make one not even try the optimum (I’m unsure about thath, though). I am convinced that it is possible (albeit difficult) to change one’s habits regarding exercise…
This is great advice, but also I suspect many people will read it and go “yep, sounds like a thing I should do” and then not exercise, taking the outside view that EAs are not too different from most affluent people who continually choose not to exercise despite it being readily available.
So my advice is to forget about all of this at first and just do something physical and fun. What is fun differs between people. I didn’t make a habit of exercising until I lived somewhere where I could do a fun physical activity (indoor rock climbing) whenever I liked. Some people really like running or riding a bike, others like rowing, others like team sports (baseball, basketball, gridiron football, football/soccer, cricket, rugby, etc.), others like “solo” or 1-on-1 sports (tennis, racquetball, squash, golf, etc.), and some people really get into dance or acrobatics or yoga or something else. The point is to first find a physical activity that is fun.
Then let exercise come after. In order to be good at a physical activity, you will be better if you are in good general shape, so good endurance and good strength. This will make exercise instrumentally useful to having more fun, so you’ll want to do it because you like having fun, right?
This might not work for everyone (maybe you can’t find a physical activity you think is fun after trying lots), but it was a powerful change in mindset for me that got me to go from basically never exercising to spending ~4/hours a week at the gym climbing and training to climb.
The fun bucket is a good one, and I think another good bucket for many EAs is the multitasking bucket, e.g. treadmill desk, stationary bicycle (desk or video gaming), resistance exercising while on the phone, etc.
+1
Running while listening to podcasts/audiobooks is so great.
fwiw I’ve found martial arts to be easier to stick with than the other exercise types I’ve tried, because they’re very fun / I actually look forward to upcoming sessions.
Thanks for your comment, Gordon. You are certainly right when you say that it is very important to find an exercise program that fits your taste. This is also what the evidence suggests: Exercise that is enjoyable can enhance the affective responses to exercise and may improve adherence. Also, it’s definitely better to do something – even if it’s under the recommended exercise dose – rather than nothing at all.
However, I think that EAs should nontheless aim for the recommended amount of exercise! Because thinking that “every little bit counts” could make one not even try the optimum (I’m unsure about thath, though). I am convinced that it is possible (albeit difficult) to change one’s habits regarding exercise…